Final answer:
The correct answer is option b) As hostages.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the summer of 1444, Vlad III, known as Dracula, and his brother Radu were in the custody of the Ottomans. During this time, they were treated as hostages rather than honored guests, military advisors, or ignored. The Ottoman Empire had a system known as the devshirme, which entailed recruiting Christian boys from European territories they controlled and training them to serve in various capacities within the empire. These boys were indoctrinated and converted to Islam, with many serving in important roles such as Janissaries in the Ottoman military or administrators in the state apparatus.
Their captivity was part of the Ottoman practice to assure loyalty from subjugated leaders and control over strategic regions, like Wallachia, where Vlad III was a prince. The boys received education and training, but their status was clear—they were hostages ensuring their father's, Vlad II Dracul, allegiance to the empire.